Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase the training grants available to Alcohol Focus Scotland to meet the increased demand for counsellors arising from its Plan for Action on Alcohol Problems .

Mrs Mary Mulligan: There are no immediate plans to increase the training grants to Alcohol Focus Scotland. The Plan for Action on Alcohol Problems has only recently been published and the Executive will give consideration to training grants for Alcohol Focus Scotland as the plan rolls out and priorities are clarified.

Birds

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the exact legal status of snaring is within capercaillie habitats.

Allan Wilson: Laws on snaring do not differentiate between land which supports capercaillie populations and other land types. The use of approved snares to control pest species of wild animal, such as foxes and rabbits, is legally permitted, subject to certain conditions relating to their use.

Birds

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive under what conditions snaring within capercaillie habitats is allowed.

Allan Wilson: The use of snares to target pest species, such as foxes and rabbits, is a matter for individual landowners or their agents. Snares set must be of an approved type and must, by law, be checked at least once a day.

  I understand that guidance on fox control in capercaillie habitats has been produced by the Capercaillie Biodiversity Action Plan Steering Group. The guidance, which has been widely circulated to landowners and forest managers, recommends that snares are not set within woods known to hold capercaillie. The guidance also recognises that the fox is a major predator of several species of bird and that capercaillie breed more successfully where foxes and other predators are fewer.

Birds

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether snaring within capercaillie habitats can be allowed in the context of the EC Directive on wild birds habitats.

Allan Wilson: Article 5 of the Wild Birds Directive prohibits the deliberate killing, or capture by any method, of all species of naturally occurring wild birds. The provisions of the directive are given effect in the UK by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which makes it an offence to intentionally set devices to trap or snare capercaillie. The use of approved snares for legitimate pest control purposes is not prohibited by the act.

Birds

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many instances of snaring within capercaillie habitats occurred in 2001, detailing the location of each.

Allan Wilson: I have no information on this.

Council of Europe

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive who will be Scotland’s full and substitute members to the Regional Chamber of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe for the two-year mandate that begins in May 2002.

Mr Jim Wallace: The names of Peter Peacock MSP as the full member, and Ben Wallace MSP as the substitute member, have been forwarded by the Scottish Executive to the UK Government for submission to the Council of Europe, under the procedure agreed by the government of the United Kingdom for appointing the UK delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe.

Digital Technology

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what direct support measures for the roll out of broadband services have been identified under the Highlands and Islands Partnership Programme.

Peter Peacock: Programme priorities have been outlined as infrastructure enhancements in remoter areas. An action plan has been drawn up and a more detailed description of project activities is being developed. Part of this process will entail the identification of effective demand to ensure project sustainability.

  I can confirm that a £11.5 million project led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise in partnership with Shetland Islands Council and Orkney Islands Council to link Shetland and Orkney with the UK mainland by submarine fibre-optic cable, was recently successful in securing some £1.5 million in European funds.

Housing

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many sheltered housing complexes were built by local authorities in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001.

Iain Gray: The numbers of sheltered dwellings built in the years 1999-2000 to 2001-02 are shown in the following table:

  





1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  



New Build 
  

Very Sheltered 
  

Sheltered 
  

Very Sheltered 
  

Sheltered 
  

Very Sheltered 
  

Sheltered 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

0 
  

32 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Angus 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Comhairle nan Eilean Siar 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

N/A 
  

N/A 
  



Dundee City 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



E. Dunbartonshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



East Lothian 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



City of Edinburgh 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Falkirk 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Fife 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Glasgow City 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Highland 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Inverclyde 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

N/A 
  

N/A 
  



Midlothian 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Moray 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

0 
  

12 
  

0 
  

25 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Shetland 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

N/A 
  

N/A 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

N/A 
  

N/A 
  



Stirling 
  

0 
  

3 
  

0 
  

2 
  

N/A 
  

N/A 
  



W. Dunbartonshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



West Lothian 
  

6 
  

16 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Scotland 
  

6 
  

63 
  

0 
  

27 
  

0 
  

0 
  



  Source: Housing Capital Programme 1999-2000 to 2001-02.

  Housing associations also build sheltered housing. Information is collected by Communities Scotland but is not held at local authority level. However, national new build totals for the years 1999-2000 to 2001-02 are as follows:

  


1999-2000 
  

148 
  



2000-01 
  

173 
  



2001-02 
  

78

Post Office

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has received to support the post office network in deprived urban areas and how this funding will be utilised.

Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23491 on 15 April 2002.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what fee was charged by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the financial review of the Scottish Prison Service Estates.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  £107,584 excluding VAT.

Rail Services

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have been held with ScotRail about the passengers in excess of capacity limits set by the Strategic Rail Authority and any overcrowding of ScotRail services.

Lewis Macdonald: The passengers in excess of capacity overcrowding measurement is the responsibility of the Strategic Rail Authority. The Scottish Executive has no locus or powers to intervene.

Roads

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the A94.

Lewis Macdonald: The A94 from Perth to Forfar is a local road. Decisions relating to its improvement are the responsibility of the relevant local authorities.

Roads

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional support it will provide to Stirling Council to enable it to tackle a backlog of road maintenance.

Lewis Macdonald: Additional capital allocations for local roads and bridges amounting to £70 million across Scotland were announced late last year, and are included in capital allocations over the three years to March 2004. It is for Stirling Council to decide how to spend its capital allocations.

  In addition, Stirling Council received £656,000 in additional revenue funding for local roads and bridges as its share of the additional £20 million awarded in February 2002 to further speed up maintenance activity on local roads and bridges.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current gross value is of the Scottish Transport Group Pension Funds surplus.

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current net value after taxation is of the Scottish Transport Group Pension Funds surplus.

Lewis Macdonald: The most recent annual report of the Scottish Transport Group showed the value of the surplus at 31 March 2001 to be approximately £168 million net of tax (£258 million gross). Audited accounts for the final period are not yet available.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the Scottish Transport Group Pension Funds surplus has now been handed over to the Scottish ministers by the trustees.

Lewis Macdonald: The total surplus (net of tax) remains with the trustees at this time. The Executive expects to receive the surplus on completion of the audit of the Scottish Transport Group (STG) pension scheme accounts and the dissolution of the STG.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase the total amount of the ex gratia payments to be made to former members of the Scottish Transport Group Pension Funds.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive currently has the agreement of Her Majesty's Treasury to retain £118 million of the Scottish Transport Group pension scheme surplus to distribute to former scheme members. As far as Her Majesty's Treasury is concerned, the remaining sum is a matter for the UK Exchequer.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive when it now it expects to make ex gratia payments to former members of the Scottish Transport Group Pension Funds.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive requires access to the Scottish Transport Group pension scheme records, currently held by the trustees, to calculate individuals payments. The Executive has now finalised an agreement with the trustees which will provide full and immediate access to those records. This enables the process of notifying individuals, advertising and confirming details to begin prior to the formal wind-up. Once adverts are placed, the process of verifying and preparing the distribution of the majority of payments is expected to take approximately four months.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20831 by Lewis MacDonald on 24 December 2001, when it now expects to lay before the Parliament the Order to dissolve the Scottish Transport Group.

Lewis Macdonald: The position remains that the order to dissolve the Scottish Transport Group will be brought forward as soon as possible, following the formal wind-up of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes by the trustees.

Social Services

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary question from Karen Whitefield to question S1O-4829 by Cathy Jamieson on 7 March 2002, whether it will outline the detail of its plans for improving and upgrading social work training.

Cathy Jamieson: The Action Plan for the Social Services Workforce launched on 18 April 2002 set out the main points. Implementation will be taken forward by a project delivery group, involving representatives from the relevant professional associations, employers and training institutions.

Traffic

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether road congestion has decreased or increased in each of the last five years and, if there has been an increase, to what extent the level of road works has contributed to that increase.

Lewis Macdonald: Estimates of traffic growth vary, but the long term trends suggest an increase in traffic volume on major roads between 1990 and 2000 of around 16%.

  The aim of Reducing Disruption from Utilities’ Road Works – A Consultation Paper is to evaluate the extent to which utilities companies roadworks caused disruption to road users and to identify steps that could be taken to alleviate any problems. In addition, the Executive recently commissioned a research project, Assessing the Effectiveness Of Utility Company Roadworks. Copies of the research, which is expected to report in May, will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Transport

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total expenditure on transport improvements listed in the regional leaflets associated with its transport delivery report, Scotland’s Transport: Delivering Improvements , (a) was in each of the past three years and (b) is projected to be in future years, (i) expressed per capita and (ii) broken down by each geographical area.

Lewis Macdonald: The leaflets detail the Scottish Executive's expenditure on transport improvements through to 31 March 2004, across nine regional areas. They cover schemes that have already been delivered, or will be delivered, from funding already in place but they do not include additional spending commitments arising from decisions taken after November 2001, such as the commitments announced on 19 March in Aberdeen, on 11 April in Ballinluig and on 15 April relating to the Ord of Caithness. The total funds committed to those projects included in the leaflets broken down by region and per capita are presented in the following table:

  


Region 
  

Population* 
  

Total Cost
(£million) 
  

Cost Per Capita
(£) 
  

Schemes†




Highlands AND Islands 
  

325,890 
  

71.029 
  

217.95 
  

193 
  



North East Scotland 
  

525,300 
  

39.622 
  

75.43 
  

76 
  



Northern Isles 
  

42,340 
  

16.741 
  

395.39 
  

69 
  



South East Scotland 1 
  

884,900 
  

145.238 
  

164.13 
  

66 
  



South East Scotland 2 
  

277,600 
  

39.541 
  

142.44 
  

31 
  



Tay 
  

737,500 
  

71.303 
  

96.68 
  

105 
  



West of Scotland 1 
  

521,400 
  

73.358 
  

140.69 
  

99 
  



West of Scotland 2 
  

1,145,050 
  

162.031 
  

141.51 
  

34 
  



West of Scotland 3 
  

1,270,660 
  

158.631 
  

124.84 
  

57 
  



Scotland 
  

5,119,200 
  

665.215 
  

129.95 
  

709 
  



  Notes:

  *Population figures: Mid-year estimates, GROS, 1999.

  †Plus Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets projects designated by local authorities.

  A year on year breakdown of the Executive's transport expenditure, actual and planned, for 2000-01 through to 2003-04 is available in The Scottish Budget: 2002-03, published on 2 April. Figures for 1999-2000 are contained in earlier versions.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Presiding Officer what the planned budget is for the arts strategy for the new Parliament buildings at Holyrood.

Sir David Steel: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) has recently initiated the implementation of the first phase of an art programme for the Holyrood building based on the agreed overall Parliament Art Strategy. The SPCB has earmarked £250,000 for this first phase; this initial funding will form the basis for commissioning a number of significant new works of art to mark the opening of the new Parliament building in 2003. The Parliament will also seek to involve others in the first stage of the programme through sponsorship and loans of established work.